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How set on are you on staying at art of animation? as that for a family suite or a Little mermaid room? You can get rooms at All Star Music starting at about 767. I plan Disney Vacations for on site guests if you would like any assistance feel free to ask, or I can send you to the site.

Our family will not stay off site. We really enjoy not worrying about having a car. If you add in the cost of parking and renting a car it is probably pretty close money wise.

I guess it is a matter of what you want.. do you want a full size kitchen, will you be cooking? Do you like the idea of not having to worry about directions and just enjoying the ride to the park?

We have stayed at a value before and my kids LOVED it!! We stayed at All Star Music and the music and games they have by the pool daily were so much fun. They were a little bit disappointed that we were not going back there this trip. But we are going Deluxe so they will be happy the pool I am sure. lol

There will most likely be some kind of discount for May as well... Just as an FYI

We've stayed at all levels of WDW resorts and at Swan and Dolphin, off site twice. We'd gladly pay more to stay at a Disney Value as opposed to a 4 Star off site. You may want to look into renting points from a DVC member and staying at a Disney Vacation Club Resort. We're staying at BoardWalk in Oct, 2013, 8 nights for $880 total.

I have stayed at a private villa, a Disney recommended hotel and this time we're staying at POR. I can't wait to relax and not worry about driving/parking, or having a glass of wine (or 2!!) with dinner - especially while going around Epcot!

We have chosen POR on a recommendation from a previous Disney employee so are hoping for a really great trip!

As a previous poster said, I highly recommend staying onsite for your first visit.

If you rent a car, you'll have car rental, parking costs at the theme park and maybe at the hotel, gas, etc. All of which will probably add up to any cost savings.

Plus you'll miss all the fun of being at a Disney resort. If you opt for Art of Animation, the Big Blue pool is fabulous! The rooms are incredibly themed for children. At all the Disney resorts, there are movies and other activities specifically for children.

We stay onsite because WDW is what we are going to Orlando for, and we love being immersed in the Disney experience. We enjoy not driving for a week, and find the Disney transportation to be effective and part of the fun. While you're there you can explore other resorts too and see lots of things and never have to leave Disney. The resorts just become a big part of the whole experience for us.

It is funny, people ask about our Orlando trip, and we instead refer to it as a WDW trip, since we never go anywhere off property.

The benefits of staying on site also include the Extra magic Hours when the on-site resort guests either get in early or parks open late and the bus system for the parks. And you really do not need a rental car if you flying and are staying on-site with the magical Express. With your kids ages they will love staying on site, but you need to expect that that rooms are quite small. If possible you might want to look into moderate resorts...perhaps a discount will come out for your dates that will make it more affordable.

My husband and I are doing the first week in May 2013 with my then 5 and 7 year old daughters.

Found Cypress Harbour's 2 bedroom suite offered @ $570 week phenomenal value. PLENTY of room and a kitchen! Yet enticed to stay on property to reap benefits of not renting a car.

Art of Animation cost $879
Marriott Cypress Harbour cost $570

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

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The big question is roominess or the whole Disney experience. Which is more important.

I have 4 in my family 2 double beds won't cut it for us. If you can afford it go to a moderate resort POr or CSR have 2 queens. If not stay offside rent a car and after paying for parking at the parks you will pay the same either way. So it's up to you as to what is most important.

I certainly understand that each family has its own preferences and needs, so do what works for you, but I hope you will consider staying on site. We are "Disney veterans" who have found there to be a huge difference when we've stayed in a Disney resort vs. off-site. While the extra magic hours and convenience of Disney transportation are the obvious benefits, being immersed in the Disney experience fulltime really has added so much more to our vacations.

We have stayed almost exclusively at the moderates with one trip at the Wilderness Lodge because we've found the landscaping adds a lot to creating a relaxing environment. We tend to head off to the park in the early morning and come back to the resort in midafternoon, take a dip in the pool, go for a walk around the landscaped grounds, or grab a quick nap in the room. Then, we like to head back to the park for the evening parades and fireworks. When we stayed offsite, we found that having to navigate the traffic on Route 4 to get back to a hotel not only took us out of the Disney mood but also created stress so, we stayed in the parks longer and everyone was exhausted.

Our son is now in college and my wife and I are planning our first "just adults" trip. At this point, we probably enjoy our time at the resorts as much as being in the parks. For us, even as adults, being encompassed in the Disney experience is a break from the realities of our busy jobs and challenges of daily life...it's so rejuvenating to be able to just block all that out for a few days! I know that some people may not understand this or may actually like the break from Disney that comes with being off-site...to each his/her own. Whether you are on or off-site, you and your family will have a great time!

Staying on site is a totally different experience then off site. We stayed off site our first time and decided we would stay on site for future trips.

We're you looking at family suites in the value resorts? That would be the only way to not be in the same room with the kids for bed time. Or a 1 bedroom DVC villa.

Another possibility is looking at the Downtown Disney Doubletree. They are all suites. While not a Disney property and not the same perks as a wdw resort, they are in the DTD area, and have very good park transportation. Their park busses run every 30 min. So you wouldn't have to rent a car. And you'd be close to the magic. They have good discounts sometimes on Mousesavers.com. We stayed 1 night here Pre WDW package and got a great rate that included continental breakfast bar.

One of the conveniences we like about staying on site is the ability and ease of going back to our resort for a mid day break, then returning to a park later on. Very hard to do off site.

I don't know what you read about time, but no park is more then a 20 or 25 min bus ride away from your resort. Most are just a 10 or 15 min ride.